Just a Castaway
by fire spirit
Summary: Sephora wanted nothing out of the ordinary. Win races, go to parties, but when she wakes up in an unknown place called Ivalice, she is swept across a political mess she never wanted to be in. Add some mist and the Ocurria and stand back and enjoy the show
1. 1st RecollectionSephora

First Recollection- Sephora

_Going to school sucks…_

I looked on from the car window as we passed by the cul-de-sac of houses. All of them were the same design that lacked originality. Two story houses with a cream color scheme and a crispy green lawn, despite the season. I sighed into the window glass, creating a bit of fog with my breath.

"Tired?" Mom asked, steering the car to the right.

I nodded against the glass. "I don't like Mondays," I said. I lifted my head to run a hand through my short, dark hair. Satisfied that I found no knots, I continued my whine. "I also don't like that I have practice today."

Mom chuckled, her hazel eyes smiling more than her lips. Mom always did that when she smiled or laughed. I liked it. Too bad I didn't inherit the habit.

"Sephora, don't be so gloomy," she said cheerfully. I frowned.

"Why?"

"This _is_ your birthday week. You're finally turning fifteen!" Mom's voice took an excited tone. Slowly, my frown changed into a small smile.

"I know!" My gloom was blown away with the swift- and sweet- reminder that, _yes_, I was turning a year older. "But do I have to wait until Friday for my present?" I craned my neck to give mom a puppy look, complete with pouting. Mom laughed fully now; I never pull the puppy look.

"Of course you do, just like everyone else who waits for their birthday," she said, taking a responsible stance. Suddenly, she smirked. "Unless…" I bit my lip, anticipating mom's next words.

"Unless what?" I knew I took her bait, but right now a creature (I call it curiosity) pounced on my stomach, demanding an answer.

There was an almost malicious smile on mom's lips. She kept her silence, stopping on a red light. Knowing we would stay a while there, she faced me. Her smile taunted me.

"Unless what, Mom!" The creature wanted to jump out and take the answer away from her mind. Instead of doing that, I stomped the floor with vigor. Like the second before a race, my heart pounded loudly. It urged for mom to tell the condition.

"Unless…" she stretched out the word as long as she could, playing with my curiosity. "Unless you tell me what really happened last Saturday on your date."

I expected that, but, at the same time, didn't.

My curiosity fell silent as I kicked my school bag by my feet. "I already told you on Saturday," I mumbled.

The light changed to green, shifting mom's attention to the road ahead. The traffic was light compared to the other days, a relief in itself. Mom hated taking me to school when there was heavy traffic. She sped up, eyes trained on the road. Any semblance of the teasing mother was gone in an instant. Despite such focus, I decided to keep on talking.

"I went to Scott's house with some of our friends and watched a movie that," _sucked_ "I didn't like."

"Ah yes, you told me that," Mom said to herself more than to me. "Which movie did you see?"

I sighed. "Some stupid movie called _Advent Children Complete_. It's from a video game," I muttered. Scott and most of the guys were huge fans of a video game series called _Final Fantasy_. Apparently, they forgot that I wasn't a fan (or even heard from it). So, unlike everyone else, I had no knowledge of what the hell was happening throughout the movie. The experience didn't strike my curiosity; rather it left a sour taste in my mouth. Never would I touch a thing named _Final Fantasy_.

"Never heard of it," Mom commented airily. From a distance, I spotted the large gray slab that was my school.

"Good, 'cause you won't understand much," I said darkly.

"But what I want to know is-"

"Nothing happened." _He was glue to the television, gushing about the movie that he forgot that he invited me as a date. _I hope that my eyes said the rest.

"Really?" Mom sounded disappointed. I couldn't blame her.

"Yes, really." Hopefully that was the end of the conversation.

The rest of the ride was quiet. I slipped on the school jacket; February was always the coldest month, even here. I let my mind drift to warmer climate.

Before I knew it, the car was stationed at the school's entrance. Other students rushed into the large building with an assortment of colorful book bags and personalized jackets. Having to wear uniforms made us resort to accessories for a chance of standing out. I glanced to my own bag, black with blue and red streaks on the side. It was a simple design, but I found it cute. Reaching down, I jingled the various keychains collected on a hoop from a zipper.

"Bye sweetie," Mom said gently, unlocking the car door with the press of a button on her side. I undid the seatbelt and hugged her briefly.

"Bye mom, see you later." Opening the door, I shouldered my bag.

"Have fun." Her eyes smiled again.

"Okay."

I shut the door.

-X-

The hallway was deserted.

It freaked me out.

The rows of lockers were absent of their chattering students. No sound was uttered from the rooms. I gulped.

Maybe I entered the school the wrong way?

Probably.

I walked with a jolting step. Trying to pinpoint my location, I set the task of actually _observing_ my surroundings. There was a water fountain by a closed room to my left and stairs at the end of the hallways. My nose scrunched up. This wasn't the first time I got lost in my own high school. Granted that this was my first year in it, but this was the second semester! I was sure I was-

"Are you sure it's today?"

I froze on the spot. The question hung in the air, defying whoever would answer it. I stopped breathing as I waited for the echoing voice to continue. But the voice…it sounded way too familiar. My gut insisted it was Mr. Valen. He was the only teacher who had that pseudo Ivy League accent.

"We do not make mistakes." Another voice, with even more echo, joined the Mr. Valen. I raised an eyebrow. Now that was a voice I didn't recognize or _identify_ the gender.

"I'm just making sure. I don't make such dealings as this one."

What were they talking about? Curiosity gnawed at me from the inside. At least, I knew Mr. Valen was the one talking. I didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"You are wise to remain only as an observer," the echoing voice said.

I knew where I was now and I considered hitting myself. Mr. Valen's room was on the opposite side of the school in direction to my homeroom. One question came to me swiftly. _How did I get here?_ I shook away the question.

All I had to do was turn around and leave the empty hallway. I wouldn't want to be late. I strained my ears, wanting to listen in.

_Or I could go the long by taking those stairs…_

Mr. Valen chuckled slightly. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment."

My feet, as if moved by some unknown force, took a few steps forward. I wanted to listen in better.

"Considering the circumstances of this, you should, hume."

"Hummus?" I mouthed. Was that a new kind of insult? Another step forward, light as a feather and I already saw the slightly ajar door. NO wonder I could listen in easily.

"Oh, you flatter me too much." Mr. Valen paused. I held my breath, risking exposure by eavesdropping. "Don't the others of your kind find that this one is too young?" I let my breath go as slowly as I could.

"Our leader has chosen younger still."

"Yes, you've told me, but it has ended in failure because of inexperience. Sending someone so young would hinder you success more than help it."

A chill went down my spine. The conversation went to direction I didn't like. Maybe I should've run for it in the beginning. My heart lodged itself in my throat. The heart's pulse pounded in my head.

"Do not question us!" The other voice bellowed; its echoing effect vanished. I jumped in surprise.

Okay, now was the time to scram. I gripped my bag's straps and decided to go past the room (for curiosity's sake). My shoes thumped loudly against the linoleum floor. No one talked, the silence only interrupted by my attempt to make my presence known. I peeked from the corner of my eyes when I passed Mr. Valen's room.

There was only one man in the room, Mr. Valen.

I almost tripped on the stairs.

-X-

I made it to homeroom with a hammering heart and a shaky breath. Thankfully no one noticed so I went to my seat – the last one on the third file- and plopped myself on it. Waiting for me on the seat in front of mine was none other than Gabriel.

My best friend raised an eyebrow, his black eyes meeting mine. He tilted his head to the side, oddly silent. I waited for his first remark of the morning.

"Did you get run over by a car?" Was the first thing he said. Typical way to say good morning. The sudden normalcy of my homeroom relaxed my muscles. No weird conversations within earshot.

"No, a cat dragged me in," I said, a hint of sarcasm palpable on my words. His eyes widened. I blinked wearily at him.

"You're using it at last!"

"What am I using again?" I scratched at my desk, not really paying attention to my friend.

"Sarcasm," Gabriel answered.

"Doesn't really feel like sarcasm…" _Do not question us! _I tensed as those words came back.

"Sephora, seriously, what happened to you?" He gazed at me with a blend of confusion and worry. I bit my lip, not entirely sure how should I answer. What did happen?

"N-Nothing. I thought I was going to be late," I lied, a stutter or two interfering. Gabriel gave an incredulous stare.

"You're five minutes early," he deadpanned. I shifted my eyes away, a telltale sign of my lie.

"If I would've walked, I might've been late," I elaborated feebly. "Anyway, I have a question for you." I wanted to change the subject as quickly as I could. Gabriel regarded me for a while.

"…Okay."

"What _is _Final Fantasy exactly?"

His eyes glinted. I regretted my question immediately.

"Where could I start?"

"In a simple explanation."

"But wait, you want to talk about the numbered ones or the spinoffs."

"Huh?" My eyebrows knitted together. No words that came from Gabriel's mouth made sense.

"Okay…They're um…a series of RPG video games from Japan," he started.

"What's a-"

"Role Playing Game."

"Oh…"

"Anyway, all of the games are in different setting with different plot and characters in each installment." There was a small crashing sound. Gabriel and I looked at the ruined ornament on the floor. We resumed our conversation. "But the thing that makes them Final Fantasy is the magic, a guy named Cid and some giant chickens called-" I didn't let him finish for I started laughing.

"Giant chickens?" I didn't see giant chickens in the movie.

He nodded vigorously. "People ride them." I laughed again. "I'm serious!"

"Okay, okay, go on."

"They're thirteen main games and a hell lot of spinoffs. Some spinoffs take place in the same place as a numbered Final Fantasy like Ivalice. Wait, why are you asking again? I thought you hated the games."

_I still do. _"Just curious, that's all."

Our conversation ceased when the homeroom teacher arrived. A collective murmur ran through the classroom as he started to berate us for the broken ornament. I removed my jacket, stuffing it in my bag. Everything else passed by in a blur. I tried to think of other things to distract my mind from the conversation I overheard. A hard task because every time I pushed it away, the words came back with more force.

The bell rang and I squeaked in shock.

Most of the students left the room, going to their classes, while I remained in my seat, dumfounded.

_Do not question us!_

That voice sounded inhuman. I realized it as other students entered the classroom. Gabriel had already left, going to Science class. I remained in my seat, in a trance, disconnected.

_Sephora…_

I glanced around. Who had called me? Around me, the other students minded their own business; they gossiped, yelled a bit, but none said my name. I shrugged.

_Sephora…_

I tensed again. My breath hitched. Who was calling me?

_You are needed._

I tried to open my mouth to reply, but I couldn't. My eyes shifted downward. I tried to move my hand, my fingers, _anything._ Panic started to descend on me. The muscles on my legs were unresponsive too.

What was happening?

I struggled. Nothing. I tried to scream. Silence. No one around me noticed.

_The Mist aches for you._

My senses went numb. My breathing ceased. I didn't know how my heart kept beating against my chest. It was as if I was stuck in time, while everything else moved forward. I felt something slick on my cheeks.

_Do not cry, child for you will be guided on your journey._

Suddenly, my eyelids weighted a ton, heavy as lead. My mind flashed around wildly to fragments of my memories. Mom, Dad, Gabriel, Scott, Mr. Valen, empty hallways, a race, a track, a- a-

I closed my eyes, the darkness cutting off everything.

-X-

**First Recollection- Sephora End**

**Well, hello! For those who already read Just a Castaway, this is the rewritten version of the prologue. The first one wasn't what I had in mind when designing the OC; the other, suckier version was more of self insert-ish than this one. This is the unbeta'd version, but when I get the revised version I'll replace this one. **


	2. Chapter 1: Disoriented

Just a Castaway

by: fire spirit

Beta'd by: Lady PenThier

Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XII, Square Enix does. I own Sephora, my OC.

---

Chapter 1- Disoriented

Darkness. Complete Darkness.

So this is how death feels like. Strange, I didn't see fires of Hell or see the gates of Heaven. Was this Purgatory? A little part of me rejected that idea. This was ridiculous; waiting in the dark for your loved ones to pray for your soul's departure to wherever it's supposed to go. Or the talk of every religion about life after death a mere lie.

I groaned.

…

Was I still alive? Well, I groaned, I listened to it…so I'm alive? I felt my nostrils flare up as air entered my lungs. I breathed unevenly. So, I wasn't in whatever I had assumed I was. That meant I was alive. I tried my voice.

"Where…am I?" My voice was very grave. I sounded horrible, as if my throat was shoved with cotton. I tried swallowing, but it was too difficult. How long was I in this place? I croaked out my question again without really knowing if there was someone here.

I tried opening my eyes, but they still felt like lead. I tried (the only thing I do now is try) to move; anything, even my toes and fingers. I waited patiently as my mind furiously ordered my muscles to move. Nothing happened. Panic overwhelmed me. I couldn't move; only the basic necessity of breathing functioning. Then I remembered that I could talk. The panic softened…

_Thud!_

…And intensified in the span of three seconds. My muscles finally reacted by stiffening. I remained silent, afraid of what was happening. Someone grunted close by. Sounded like fighting. Someone was fighting! That meant people, which brought the thought of salvation to my mind. If only I could open my eyes to see them.

More grunts. Hey, you know, a schoolgirl is on the floor, likely hurt…Stop your fighting or whatever! Now, the clinking of metal joined the grunts. Oh, forgot to add in the loud yell. Wait, someone was talking. I strained my ears to listen.

"Spare us your quiddities," a male, British voice said sharply. A tension filled silence emerged and consumed me. The man's words quieted all the noise that was made. My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to know what was happening.

"It appears we are not alone," a woman said elegantly. My stomach knotted itself. Did they see me? I hoped so. This woman had an accent too, although not like the man's. Quickly, before registering what just passed through my thoughts, I mused that I was in Europe.

"Who cares?" Oh, wait, another voice! It sounded youthful, and angry all rolled up into one loud explosion. "We have a-"

"A traitor, I know." Another pregnant pause followed what the British man said. Maybe they were walking away, leaving me to die. Or, they liked their silence. And what about this talk of traitor? I wanted to open my eyes! Why couldn't I?

"Now, Fran, you said we have company?" British drawled casually. Hope swelled in my heart. They noticed me. To my delight, I heard footsteps approaching. I smiled, the strain twisting it to a grimace. I watered my mouth, preparing to talk again.

"Who are you?" I croaked out. My voice was still dry as cotton. I received no answer. I clenched my teeth and that simple action caused pain to shot through my jaw. The footsteps were closer now, hope coursing through my body.

A hand slivered to my skull. My muscles felt the need to tighten themselves. The hairs on my neck stood on its ends. My body's reaction was the opposite of how I felt. Someone was saving me. But, would he help me? The hand roughly raised my head. I hissed in pain. I was injured? My body stayed limp, unmoving.

"What an attire," British murmured close to my ear. So the British guy was the one helping me? Then, the meaning of his words struck me. I fumed mentally. What was wrong with a school uniform?

"She needs help now. She doesn't look too good…" the youthful voice said and a pair of footsteps followed. British, beside me, sighed.

"Then make yourself useful, Vaan. Your Cure spell, if you may." British's sarcasm was palpable. I heard mutters from the youthful voice along the lines of "fine". Silence…again. I groaned, breaking the ridiculous silences these strangers were so fond of.

"Now, now, you don't want the boy to lose his diminishing concentration," British said. I obeyed. At that time, I didn't really think about things like Cure spells, magic and all that nonsense. My mind only wanted its body to be healed. So when the word cure came up, my heart skipped a beat. If only I knew that was the beginning of a headache. A big headache.

The feeling of being cured was strange. At first, it caught me off guard. I gasped in surprise. A wave of relief rippled through my battered body. The wave of euphoria covered everything; from the top of my head, to my toes, even to my fingertips. My muscles relaxed, but I knew they were alert. Taking a risk, after the wave dissolved into my body, revitalizing me, I opened my eyes softly.

I didn't know why I was so persistent in opening my eyes. The difference between the darkness of this tunnel and closing your eyes was nearly non-existent. I blinked my eyes to get accustomed to the dim surroundings. My only aid was the tiny shafts on the dilapidated ceiling. I was in a tunnel; a dirty, musty, dim tunnel.

"Is she gonna be okay?" the youthful voice asked sincerely. The footsteps came to a sudden stop. I looked up, but only met the decayed ceiling. British still held my head as he propped me to a sitting position. I wanted to answer him.

"I'm fi-" I couldn't finish as a coughing fit drowned my words. My throat was bone dry, and my rasping coughs echoed through the narrow tunnel. Minutes later, my coughing ceased all together, but I could barely talk.

British stood up. Curiously I gazed at him. His hazel eyes twinkled, even in the dim light. His tousled brown locks went well with his eyes. But, how he dressed was weird. He wore a white long sleeved dress shirt and a golden vest filled with elaborate patterns. Wasn't he a little overdressed to be in this tunnel?

I shook my head and I prepared to stand up. Guess what? I got into another round of coughing. The coughs rattled my body and the only thing I could do was cover my mouth.

"Hey!" The youthful voice exclaimed over my coughing. A boy, around seventeen (couldn't really tell, my eyes watering because of the coughing) crouched beside me. He handed me a water bag. I took it wordlessly and greedily drank. The cool water relieved my aching throat beyond words. I massaged my neck while I handed the boy the leather water bag back. He smiled at me and sighed in relief.

"Feeling better now?" he asked. I nodded carefully. Then, I stared at him. Wasn't he the boy who was mad or something moments before? British uncrossed his arms and his hand was waiting for me to take it. The boy raised an eyebrow, but moments later he rolled his gray eyes.

I blinked in confusion at British. He gave me a charming smile. What was he up to?

_He's just being a gentleman,_ I thought to myself. I regarded his outstretched hand again with scrutiny. I thought the era of chivalry was over. Shrugging a little bit, I accepted his hand. British hauled me off to my feet in one fluid motion. I wobbled a little on my feet.

"Thanks," I said. A lopsided smirk graced British's lips.

"Any self respecting leading man would do the same," he drawled. My cheeks prickled. Come to think of it, he reminded me of James Bond. His accent and his suave appearance fit into the character mold. But, James Bond was a fictional character.

I smiled at British as he let go of my hand. The boy came to my side instantly.

"What's your name?" he asked. I turned to face him. His pale blond hair was cut short, except for long side bangs. His gray eyes watched me, waiting for my answer.

Finally, the time for mental dilemma. Telling my name to strangers had never been a good strategy. Situations where you give your name to someone you barely know never ended pretty. I really didn't know if I should trust those two. The boy seemed alright, but British was another case entirely. He was older than the boy and his eyes…they don't show how he feels; like a mask.

Should I lie to them? Could I really get away with telling them another name? I knew that was a pretty slim chance. I wanted time to slow itself, to let me think. Time wasn't merciful. British inspected his cuffs idly while the boy still waited for my response.

"She can tell her name later." I jumped in surprise. Oh, I forgot about the other voice at the beginning! The woman's accented voice held authority.

Out of the shadows, she appeared. Her tall, willowy figure intimidated me, even though I was tall for my age. Her mocha skin clashed with her long silver white hair. She was an exotic beauty. But that wasn't what impressed me the most. Besides her revealing attire, another miniscule detail stood out.

Her ears were rabbit ears! Eep! Is that even possible? My eyes widened, my lips moving but not forming words. The ears twitched; long white ears with brown speckles at the tips. The woman's amber eyes didn't meet mine. She looked unfazed by my presence.

"My name is Sephora…" I blurted out. Better not lie since the beginning. Maybe they would help me. But, just in case, I'll stay as far away from the rabbit eared woman. British wasn't paying attention, his back facing me.

"Sephora?" the boy repeated and I nodded. He smiled widely and rubbed his nose. I didn't know how to react to that. It was time I get some answers.

"I told my name what about yours?" I was tired of calling him boy in my mind. Better yet, I wanted to know all of their names. The boy, British and the rabbit eared woman. Before the boy could respond, British interrupted.

"If you can walk, let's go," British said. There were more people? From where the woman appeared, another lumbering figure walked out. The boy's expression darkened. I winced.

To say that the man before me looked horrible was a big understatement. His long blond hair was frizzy and unkempt. His long, wiry beard was encrusted with dirt. He was also very skinny, famine skinny. I could see the man's rib cage. A large scarred gash circled the man's left shoulder. I bet he had more scars like those. Biting my lip, I looked away.

"You're taking him with us?" the boy spat, outraged. My eyes shifted from the man to the boy. I was momentarily confused. Were they on bad terms?

"We could use another sword arm," British said smoothly.

"Sword…arm?" I echoed hollowly. British glanced at me.

"You can follow, if that's what you want. I daresay we all have a common goal." I raised an eyebrow at British's words.

"Which is?" I couldn't help but bite back. How could he make assumptions like that? British smirked.

"Getting out of this wretched prison alive."

_Prison?_ I woke up in a prison? I-Impossible! My heart beat accelerated. My eyes landed on the innocent eyes of the boy. He didn't look criminal. Now I had second thoughts about giving my name. My fear bloomed somewhere near my heart. I took a slow breath.

"You shall have your sword arm," the scarred man proclaimed, breaking my frenzied train of thought. The boy grumbled something unintelligible.

British nodded and without further ado, he walked into the depths of the tunnel. The rabbit eared woman followed dutifully.

"He'll let anyone join this group now, even the _king slayer_," the boy grumbled. He ignored me and trudged behind the first two. My lips trembled. _King slayer_? I glanced at the scarred man. He killed a king? Was this on the news? I never heard of a European king being murdered recently.

I guess I became a little jumpy by hearing that. I dried my hands on my blouse. I took a step forward to follow the retreating figures. I think I trusted my legs to be at their usual caliber. They wobbled under me and I was sure I was going to fall. The scream wasn't fast enough to leave my lips.

Two strong arms held me by my shoulders, preventing my fall. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was the scarred man, his piercing blue eyes boring into mine. I felt the heat rising in my cheeks.

"Are you alright?" I didn't concentrate on his hoarse, gruff voice. My gaze was transfixed on the scar over one of his eyebrows. I saw the man's arms shake, like if he hadn't use his arms for a long time.

"Can you walk?" he asked me. I nodded twice. He let go of my shoulders and followed the other three.

I stood there, dumbfounded by everything. What should I do?

"Whatever," I whispered and walked gingerly to the other four. I'll think about it later. I didn't see my legs, didn't want to. I was too afraid to see them injured. I pushed myself a little bit, walking briskly now. Within seconds, I was at the same pace with the boy.

"What, eh, are your names?" I started out. The boy jumped in surprise. Guess I snuck up on him. When he saw me, he calmed down.

"Oh, right, we never introduced ourselves," he said, glancing at British and the rabbit lady. "Anyway, I'm Vaan." He struck his hand out, smile plastered on his face. Remind me again why he was in a prison? I shook his hand softly. We let go.

"I already told you my name, right?" I asked, not remembering if I did tell him.

"Yeah. Sephora was it?" Vaan said. I nodded, unexpectedly happy at this. My eyes scrutinized Vaan for a second. He only wore a small vest which didn't cover his abdomen completely and he wore baggy pants with boots. Around his hips, a sheath…

…for a sword.

Another mind-boggling fact about this weird place: People still used swords. I dismissed that. No big deal, right?

"The guy with the gun," Vaan continued, oblivious to my wide eyes. I followed his pointer finger to British. "He's Balthier, a sky pirate." I blinked, trying to forget the image of the gun in his hostler.

"A sky pirate?" Did he steal planes or something? I could see why he would be in the prison, but not Vaan. Vaan's smile turned into a grin.

"Yeah and he has an airship, but I haven't seen it yet," Vaan nearly gushed.

"Cool," I said, not knowing how to respond. He nodded enthusiastically before continuing.

"The viera is Fran." His pointer finger lingered on the elegant woman. What the hell is a viera? I didn't voice my doubt. I could already see she wasn't human at all. My fear for that woman only intensified with that thought.

Vaan retreated into silence as we walked. My eyes scanned Fran and Balthier who were taking the lead. I'll have to be careful around them. Sure they helped me, but a little precaution never hurt anyone. I looked over my shoulder. Oh, the scarred man.

"And the last one?" I asked quietly, my voice subdued. Vaan raised an eyebrow, followed my gaze and scowled.

"Oh, the traitor," Vaan's voice turned icy. "How can't you remember? Thanks to him, Dalmasca is under the Archadian Empire!" I got confused there. I had no idea what he said. "He was Captain Basch fon Ronsenburg." Was? Hm…this was getting too…Oh, what was it? Oh yes, dramatic. I didn't answer. _Calladita te ves mas bonita. _**(1)**

The scarred man didn't seem to mind that Vaan talked that way about him. Basch just followed us silently. He was a captain in the military? He didn't look like it.

But, what were Dalmasca and the Archadian Empire? I was vaguely aware that there was a Greek city-state by the name of Arcadia, but Dalmasca I knew nothing. Europe has too many cities for my liking. I rubbed my temples. I was going to get a headache for thinking too much.

Now, I had their names. I wanted to learn the location.

"Vaan, where are we?" I've been asking too many questions. Vaan considered the question.

"I…don't really know," he admitted sheepishly. He scratched his neck's back, smiling a little bit.

"We are in the Barheim Passage," an attentive Fran answered. Balthier nodded, keeping up with Fran's long strides.

"In the past, it was used to bring good to Nalbina, but with the use of the airship it became obsolete," Basch added from behind. I still didn't know what part of Europe I was. I understood what he said; it made perfect sense, except Nalbina.

"A perfect escape route for those wishing to leave the dungeons," Balthier drawled. My heart skipped a beat. Again with the escaping from prison statements.

Balthier and Fran came to a sudden stop. Vaan and I did the same, now beside them, but Basch was still a little bit behind. We arrived in a spacious circular room. The lights were in decent condition, lighting up the room nicely, but not quite enough. The walls were crumbling, so did the pillars. What a dump.

I spied some stairs that led down. Checking to see if everyone was here, I made way to the stairs. My hands shook as I held to the railing. I took the steps cautiously, fearing that I could slip. The stairs were covered in rust and creaked every time I moved. I looked up after finishing taking the steps. The rest of them were inspecting the large metal generator in the middle.

I grimaced at all the dust that peppered my clothing and the room. It must have been abandoned for years. I placed a hand softly on the wall and sighed. I closed my eyes, exhaustion manifesting. It was a strange feeling; I barely get tired back at home. I did race, but now its second nature. Why was I thinking about racing, about running? I-

"It worked!" Vaan exclaimed. I opened my eyes wearily and gazed up. The lights became potent, making me squint from the new brightness.

"So you made the lights work. You need a medal for that?" Balthier remarked. A ghost of a smile graced my lips. A clicking sound filled the room and Fran descended the stairs. Her eyes landed on me for a second. I think that was the first time she looked at me.

"Do not be sure about your victory," Fran said cryptically. I turned to face Fran. Her amber eyes weren't on me, but focused intently on a far off corner. I followed her gaze. Several footsteps resounded upon the rickety old steps.

"I don't see anything," I mumbled, ripping my gaze from the corner.

"Something troubles you," Fran commented. I raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"What are-"

Suddenly the lights flickered. The other three joined Fran. I heard a miniscule crunching sound. Everybody looked around, hearing the small sound.

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Vaan took a step forward. "Is it one of those?" All eyes followed Vaan's gaze. A large insect sucked greedily from some electrical wires. It had four spear-like legs with neon blue and yellow markings. It raised its head and wailed before returning to draining the energy. Well, that was it looked like. Each time it sucked the out of those cables, the lights flickered.

"I've heard of those," Balthier offered. "Mimics. They disguise themselves as all matters of things and then strike when you're least wary." I involuntary took a step back, directly behind Vaan.

"Some of them have a fondness for energy, I'm told," Balthier explained, oblivious of the creature only a few feet away. "They gorge themselves on the stuff till there's naught left."

"So…what happens next?" Vaan voiced my question, fingering his sword.

Out of the earth it rose. The horrible, horrendous, foul smelling-

"Zombie…" It took all my self control not to scream. The zombie moaned and raised it jagged, rusty sword. Zombies aren't real, I told myself, but I didn't believe myself anymore.

"Light's out. And it's worse in the dark. Much worse," Balthier continued as if he didn't hear me. Vaan unsheathed his sword.

"No kidding."

"So, let them get to close too one of those conducts and they'll suck it dry. But don't worry. It'll give the energy back if you ask nicely. Sticking it with a sword helps too. Clock's ticking!" His words dripped sarcasm at the end.

Balthier took his gun out of the hostler and cocked it, while Fran readied her gray bow sideways. Vaan lifted his sword to eye level, ready for a fight. I glanced behind my shoulder. Basch had his fists raised up. He was going to fight no matter what. I stood frozen.

"You _do _know how to fight, right?" Balthier quipped up, not even glancing in my direction.

I gulped. I had no idea how to fight.

---

**(1) **_Calladita te ves mas bonita_ is a saying where I live. It roughly translates to you look cuter when you're quiet. It means to keep quiet on unnecessary things that could trouble you.

Thank you **Earth-Spirit-Cycle**, **Sir Bouf**, **Dirge of Chaos**, and **Moonshine's Guide** for the reviews! Thank you as well for the alerts and favs.

I would appreciate feedback, so please click the pretty review button.


	3. Chapter 2: Barheim Passage

Just a Castaway

by: fire spirit

Beta'd by: Lady PenThier

* * *

Chapter 2- Barheim Passage

_Don't__ scream don't scream don't scream…_

The zombie lunged forward.

I screamed. Very loudly.

I was unanimously ignored as the rest sprung forward. In less than a second, the zombie laid on the floor, an arrow piercing its chest.

I think I forgot how to breathe.

"Do not be scared," Fran said calmly as she took out another arrow from her quiver. My lips trembled and a strangled agreement escaped my lips. Bile rose in my throat. I retreated from Fran, from everybody and the struggle. I didn't want to die.

_Bang!_

I jolted and hit the wall. The bang was followed by a screech. Cringing, I saw Balthier load his gun away, smirk in place. From the very back, I could see the writhing mimic. It was still alive, but was bleeding profusely. I closed my eyes in disgust. The image of the bleeding mimic assaulted me, even with eyes closed.

The sound of metal filled my ears. That could be Vaan slicing, _killing_ the mimic. I still didn't open my eyes. I was afraid. My legs were frozen and I couldn't move. I was petrified.

"Help," I breathed out. Another shot rang in the room. I flinched. I wanted to run away. The twang of the bow did nothing to soothe me. No weapon could soothe a girl. They could defend themselves, they had weapons. And, what about me? I had nothing, except the clothes on my back.

I was defenseless. Death would be inevitable.

I heard the distinct sound of knuckles cracking. Wails, more wails echoed in the room.

"Don't let your guard down." I peeked out, finally opening my eyes. Basch was staring at me, one fist raised slightly. I looked to the floor. A small mimic was on the ground, likely dead. My breathing hitched.

"What ha-happened?" I squeaked out. Basch's gaze flickered to the…_dead _mimic by our feet. His blue eyes then came to me. I stammered. "I…had my eyes…closed." He nodded.

"You were going to be the prey to the lesser mimic. It would have not hesitated in attacking you," Basch said. My eyes widened and I looked at the little mimic on the ground. That thing was going to attack me? That tiny, miniscule mimic could kill me? I let out a shaky breath.

"Oh," I said lamely, voice faint. "I should have been more aware."

The lights above us sparked to life again. I was relieved. Vaan walked out from the corner in which he fought the larger electricity sucking mimic. He wasn't injured fatally, he only had a few scratched across his cheeks and chest. Balthier and Fran withdrew their respective weapons, not a scratch on them.

Beside me, Basch shook his head, releasing a sigh of relief. The group, instinctively, joined up.

"That was so easy!" Vaan exclaimed. He rubbed his chin. Balthier grunted, probably disliking Vaan's attitude. Balthier played with the shirt's cuffs idly. I think that's one of his habits.

"Don't get used to many easy victories, Vaan. There likely more mimics here and _stronger_ than that one," Balthier drawled. His eyes met mine for a brief instant and he smirked.

"Aw, Balthier, don't ruin the moment," Vaan protested, but grinned all the same. Fran quietly started along the way.

"This Mist flows through the exit. We follow it," Fran spoke out and waited for none of us. Balthier shrugged and took the first steps.

"Whatever the lady wishes." Balthier sauntered away. Silence reclaimed the circular room. It started to smell; the corpses were decomposing. Vaan sheathed his sword.

"Come on, Sephora, or they'll leave us behind." Vaan beckoned me to come closer. I didn't meet his gray gaze, but I was watching Basch intently. He was pretty much ignored. I tuned out Vaan for a second and, against my protesting mind, I tapped Basch's shoulder.

"Come...I think they could leave us behind," I said, unsure. Did I just repeat what Vaan said? Basch blinked at me. He nodded after a few seconds ticked by. I glanced at Vaan from my peripheral. He looked livid and outraged, a complete one-eighty from before.

"Yes. It would seem so," Basch replied. I felt my lips pull up to form a small smile. Vaan already took off, stalking away from Basch and me. I sighed. What was his problem?

No more words were spoken and we delved into the Barheim Passage.

The place was mostly dark. The ceiling filled with blood seeking bats. They chattered and wailed when one of us came too close to a huddle of them. The place was blanketed by this eerie silence; like something bad waited to happen. A feeling of dread invaded my mind. I shooed it away. Nothing would go wrong. I'll just get out of this tunnel, find a phone and call for help. Simple as that.

But, what if there was no phone? No way out? No escape? Would I stay here? I eyed the four strangers I met only an hour ago. They helped me, but would they demand something from me? I had this warped trust that they would get me out of this never- ending tunnel. I had hope. I didn't know if that was enough to get me through. Nothing is like one wants it to be.

Another thought went through me. It whispered and asked me for an answer. I didn't know what to say. How did I get here? If my guess was correct, I would be in Europe. I live on the other side of the world. Why, of all places, did I wake up in the Barheim Passage?

"Sephora, you okay?" Vaan broke my constant mental questioning. He had a worried expression etched into his features. I blinked back my dazed look.

"I…No. I feel horrible," I said bluntly, no hint of playfulness. The somber mood of my thoughts dispersed any light hearted-eh…anything.

"Hey, don't be like that. I'm sure we're gonna get out of here soon," Vaan comforted. I tried to smile, but it didn't reach my eyes.

"I hope so," I muttered. He cocked his head to the side, giving me a sidelong glance.

"So…" he left the rest of the sentence hanging. He was changing the subject, no doubt about that. Vaan continued. "How old are you?"

Silence.

My eyebrows shot to my hairline. Of all things to ask! The others were paying mild attention to our conversation. I blinked once.

"Excuse me?" I asked calmly, but my voice bellied hidden edginess. I had heard that question so many times before and they give the same result. Vaan faltered.

"How old are you? Sixteen?"

I did something I haven't done in a while.

I started laughing.

_Every _single time they say that! My laughter was short lived, though. Everybody turned to watch me curiously. Vaan looked so confused at my small outburst. Balthier raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"No, no, no! I'm fourteen." Vaan's eyes seemed to bug out. He was surprised. Balthier shook his head, while Fran kept walking. Wow, did I look too old? "But, I'll be fifteen in a few days." In five days to be exact.

"Such an impressive height for one so young," Balthier commented. Oh, yeah, my height. I pursed my lips and looked up, trying to avoid the attention. I met the red beady eyes of the bats. Damn.

"You're taller than I am," Vaan mumbled his voice distant.

"I'm five feet eight. That's nothing." I lied easily. My gaze landed on Fran. She could be over six feet tall easily. An uneasy, awkward silence settled over us. Vaan was still in shock at my age as he measured himself and compared it to my height.

We walked, and walked and walked. Time passed neither too quickly or slowly. I lost the perspective of time. In this perpetual artificial twilight, it was hard to tell the time. Everyone was content with walking in silence, with only the chattering of the bats to break it occasionally. A bat flew over our heads. I wasn't even bothered with it. I increased my pace, keeping my breathing in check like my coach would tell me.

Did this tunnel ever end? I groaned mentally. It stretched beyond us endlessly. It was a straight line. Our pace wasn't breakneck quick, but it wasn't strolling through the park. I could run and _maybe_ reach the exit quicker. But with the unpredictably of this place, I'll stay with the four strangers.

We didn't talk; they didn't talk with each other either. It was as if a silent agreement was found. It seemed nobody was particularly close with each other. Vaan hated Basch (I think), Balthier treated Vaan like a child and Fran was indifferent with everything. I did manage to see a partnership between Balthier and Fran, though. Fran and Balthier took the lead, while Vaan and I were in the middle, and Basch rounded the back.

My train of thought was broken by the appearance of another electricity mimic.

It didn't notice us yet as it ambled to the nearby electric conduct. Vaan groaned and took out his sword.

"Another one. Guess you were right, Balthier." Vaan brandished his bloodstained sword. My stomach did a back flip. They were going to fight again. And, like last time, I would do nothing but coward in fear.

"Vaan, you should learn to trust my words," Balthier teased. He took his gun from his hostler with practiced ease. Vaan smiled wryly for a moment before assuming an offensive stance. His eyes were set.

Fran didn't take out her bow. She stretched her long arms and opened her palm instead. I was perplexed by that action. She was a good archer, even if I only saw her use it once. She closed her eyes in concentration. I waited in anticipation. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but the tunnel's temperature seemed to rise. I couldn't believe my eyes. On Fran's palm a sphere composed of flames materialized. With no difficulty, she launched the ball of flames toward the mimic.

The large insect wailed as its flesh burned. The lights that were flickering only moments before were restored to their former power. The mimic's legs collapsed under itself. It was miracle that it was alive. Dark scorch marks adorned its body now.

Vaan gave no preamble as it slashed the mimic in half. I winced and shut my eyes close. I heard the distinct bang from Balthier's gun.

Slowly, I opened my eyes again to meet the mimic's carcass. Why was I so freaked out by this? It's a bug! People kill bugs all the time. I do, I mean I swatted flies away and stepped on ants and I felt nothing. _But_, I argued mentally, _bugs weren't the size of a house cat_.

"What did Fran do?" I blurted out without thinking. Nobody answered; they were too deep into the small brawl. From the back, Basch approached me. He, at least, was helpful.

"Do you not know of black magick?" Basch gave me, (in his stoic self, a feat) an incredulous stare. Okay, so he didn't really help me much.

"Magick?" I echoed. The way he said it, it had a certain hard pronunciation at the end. "Don't you mean magic?" He raised a blond eyebrow up. Damn, I got myself in trouble! Didn't I think just a few hours ago of "_Calladita te ves mas bonita"_?

"I had been in prison for that long," he mused gruffly. Giving me a brief puzzled glance, he joined up with the rest of the group.

Why do I feel like I messed up big time?

The subject didn't resurface and I was quite glad because of it. But I felt bad. Now Basch thinks the world around him changed…Wait a minute…

Did he say magic?!

No! No! Magic wasn't real. It wasn't. People just don't spout fire out of their hands. But, Fran did. Basch knew about it, and didn't Vaan use a Cure "spell" to heal me? This place didn't make sense. Fran's bunny ears… traitors, king slayers, prison, Barheim Passage, escape…

I blinked forcefully. I didn't want to think about this too much. Sometimes not knowing was the best strategy. Color left my cheeks. I looked around apprehensively. No one seemed to notice.

"You are not well." I jerked when Fran came to my side. I shifted my weight nervously as we walked. Balthier and Vaan were discussing who knew what and Basch still rounded the back.

"I'm fine." Yet my voice wavered. Fran said nothing, looking ahead. One of her ears twitched. I glanced helplessly across the tunnel. The silence that had settled over before became thick and uncomfortable to me. Something about Fran rubbed me off the wrong way. Like I had said many times before, she intimidated me.

"You have no weapon," Fran said suddenly. "You are not a mage either." I nodded; why bother trying to hide it?

"Yeah," I said, still not looking at her. I crossed my arms. What was she getting at? I never heard her talk this much. "What about that?" Finally, Fran met my gaze. Her amber eyes scrutinized me for a moment, searching for something. Her cold gaze didn't falter, didn't change. I was starting to get freaked out.

Deciding that the conversation was over, I strode a little bit forward. Fran did nothing about this. _Thank you_, Fran, for stating the obvious about my lack of weapons. I was dead weight to them.

_Whack!_

I staggered in my pace. Something hit my head; something hard and metallic. I didn't scream in pain, but I could feel a bruise forming on the nape of my neck. Ouch! I stopped and searched the ground. A glint caught my attention. I scooped it up. A thin golden bangle, by the looks of it. I dangled it between my thumb and forefinger. Who would hit me with this? It's too pretty to be used as a projectile. Why--

I shrugged; again with the questioning thoughts. I pocketed the small bangle. I didn't care if it was on the ground, filled with a rare disease or something. It looked pretty. I did have a tiny suspicion, though. A certain rabbit eared intimidating woman was the main suspect.

Hours passed. I think about fours hours we walked in complete silence. I let a sigh out. This tunnel was endless! Even Vaan, who did most of the talking, was silent beside me as we trudged onwards. His steps were now sluggish and awkward. Basch had the most difficulty keeping up with our pace. His breath came out in short huffs. Being accustomed to running, my legs were not worn out by this perpetual path. But, I felt tired one way or the other.

Balthier stopped abruptly.

"We rest here," he said. I closed my eyes as I plopped down to the ground. I raised a cloud of dust around me.

"Finally." I heard Vaan mutter. He leaned against a wall beside me. He must have been more tired than I was. His neck glistened with sweat and his gray eyes drooped. Basch came in last. He nearly collapsed when he tried to sit down. With a shaky hand, he tried steadying himself. Balthier looked immaculate, not a drop of sweat on his body.

I craned my neck to see if Basch was alright. His chest heaved painfully. How long was he in that prison? Arg! I was caring too much about strangers.

To distract my wayward mind, I took out the thin bangle from my breast pocket. It was diminutive against my dusty hands. What a cute little thing. It wasn't mine, but neither was it from somebody. I dangled it in front of my eyes for a moment.

"You had a bangle all along?" Vaan asked curiously. I was dumbfounded for a moment.

"Huh?" Vaan sighed at my confused expression.

"The bangle. It's a magick filled accessory, at least that one," Vaan explained simply. I cocked my head to the side wearily. I still didn't understand. He crouched next to me and plucked it from my hands. My eyes protested but I kept quiet. He inspected it for a long moment.

"What's so special about a magic accessory?" I demanded. Vaan stopped inspecting the bangle and glanced at me. His eyes shifted between the bangle and me.

"This bangle has Libra." I blinked, not comprehending. The bangle has pounds **(1)**? "You can see the weakness of fiends." Great, just great. I had never known that Europe still believed in that kind of thing. I had to be in a sub-developed country or little town. I longed for my home, for a place that made sense. Back then, I had those shallow thoughts, now…well it became too complicated.

"So, I can see what makes the _fiends _tick?" I said, a hint of humor in my voice. Vaan nodded seriously.

"Yeah! I had one, but the Imperials took it away when they caught me." Vaan handed the bangle back. I thanked him quietly and inspected the thin bangle. So this bangle had magic in it? I clasped on to my right wrist.

"The Mist seethes," Fran muttered. Well, now that was pointless. Her sudden words were irritating me. She didn't make sense at all! There was no mist in this tunnel. I was trying to keep a level head here and I was failing. I sighed.

"It reeks. Something's close," Balthier added, much to my dismay.

"Like what?" I quickly regretted my snap. Balthier regarded me coolly, but made no motion to answer. I closed my eyes, hiding them in my hands. Tiredness washed over me suddenly. "Never mind…" I whispered under my breath.

_Swish!_

I didn't open my eyes.

_Swish!_

"Nice moves there, Captain." Balthier's voice was hard to ignore. Captain…Basch? Yeah, Vaan mentioned that Basch was a captain.

"You mean traitor," Vaan cut in icily. I clenched my teeth. I was getting sick of this animosity.

"So they say," Balthier replied coolly, brushing off Vaan's anger easily. "But I didn't see him kill anyone." Basch was silent, though I didn't see what he was doing.

"My brother did," Vaan stated harshly. I peeked from in between my hands. Vaan had a scowl on his face, while Balthier was leaning on the opposite wall, crossing his arms. Basch, well, he had quite a "makeover". His long blond hair was tied in a low ponytail and his chest was covered in red armor.

"Reks…" Basch muttered distantly. Vaan immediately glared at Basch. With the mention of the name Reks, Vaan became even more infuriated. "He said he had a brother two years younger. I see. He meant you." I feigned distraction as I closed my eyes again. I knew it was in vain, everybody was paying attention anyway. This _situation_ was…very interesting.

"Your brother," Basch kept on, "What became-"

"He's dead."

A deadly silence hung over us.

Hesitantly, I raised my head from my hands. No punches, kicks, or violence whatsoever. No glares, no screams, only silence. Basch stared; he only stared. The rusty sword in his hands was immobile. Vaan clenched and unclenched his fists, but the urge to fight was gone.

"I'm sorry." Basch's words, soft and sincere struck a cord in my heart. He meant it, he really meant those words. Vaan's clenching and unclenching faltered for a few seconds. Vaan met Basch's saddened gaze. His gray eyes were still alit with anger, but the embers were dying out slowly.

"It was you who killed him!" Vaan said. His voice only rose a tad bit. My eyes didn't hide my surprise. Death, murder. I glanced at Basch; Basch with only skin and bones and nothing more; Basch the stranger that I just met; Basch, who could be a killer.

"I give you my word that was not the way of it," Basch said, his voice holding humility.

"Then how was it, Captain?" Balthier inquired, entering the feud. Fran stayed quiet, so did I. I was, to say the least, curious to hear this tale.

Basch bowed his head and sat down as he reminisced about his past. He mentioned a war, people by the names of Vossler, Reks, Princess Ashe and King Raminas. Countries by the name of Archadia, Dalmasca and Nabradia surfaced in his tale. I started to comprehend where they were all coming from: a battle scarred country. My confusion of this place was cleared a little, but not all could be explained in twenty minutes.

"It was not I who killed the King," Basch explained five minutes into his tale. "My twin brother…" I resisted the urge to laugh loudly. _Twin brother? _Even though that sounded so important it-it-- hee! It sounded more like a prime time drama. I bit my lip, a guffaw threatening to escape. I barely listened to the rest of his explanation, trying so hard not to giggle. Before I knew it, Basch fell silent, finished.

"A twin brother? Fancy that," Balthier drawled. "But still, the pieces fit. I'll give you that much and he did look like you." Vaan shot a bewildered glare at Balthier.

"I don't believe you," Vaan said, his gaze flickering toward Basch. The older man sighed, his eyes trained on the floor.

"Of course not. It was my fault that Reks was there," Basch paused and his eyes rose to meet Vaan's gray eyes. "I'm sorry."

"My brother, he trusted you." Vaan's fists were curled tightly again. Even with the explanation, he was angry with Basch. I understood…I think. Vaan had two years to harvest that hate, so it could not just disappear instantly. "He trusted you and he lost everything. How can I believe you?" I expected an angry outburst, but his voice sounded sad, betrayed.

"Then don't," I mumbled to my hand. People would complicate things sometimes. I wanted no one to hear me, but a little voice inside of me desired to be heard. Why should I stay quiet?

"Not me then." My hand slipped from my mouth, now slightly agape. Basch heard me? Nah, didn't believe it. "Believe in your brother. He was a fine soldier. He fought to the last to protect his homeland," Basch closed his eyes. "No. Surely he fought to protect his brother." He opened his eyes and gave a brief glance toward my direction.

"You don't know anything!" Vaan exclaimed while I mouthed a small "Thanks" to Basch. I had no idea why I thanked him, though.

"Believe what you want to," Balthier cut in tiredly. "Whatever it takes to make you happy." He started to walk away, massaging his temples. I bet he was tired of Vaan's animosity toward Basch. Fran followed Balthier silently. "What's done is done."

What's done is done. I shook my head as I staggered to my feet. Basch still held his sword in both hands, gazing at it. Vaan already trudged on with Balthier and Fran. Those words rang through my head. Things can't just be _done_ and let them be. Actions would never be done; they create a never-ending domino effect.

A hand to my shoulder startled me and a shiver went down my spine. My eyes shot up to meet Basch's gaze. I relaxed immediately, my rigid shoulders sagging.

"Oh, it's you," I breathed out, my hand reaching toward my erratic heart. He looked unsure for a moment before his hands slipped from my shoulder.

"They are leaving us behind," he said simply.

"Oh!" I nodded numbly as we started walking. We were out of earshot from the other three. I was consumed in my thoughts before, but now…I had this longing to _know _what happened. "Eh, Basch?" His eyes landed on me.

"What is it?"

"Why is Vaan…" Only our footsteps broke the silence I made. Basch waited for the rest. I bit my lip. "Never mind. I'm just-"

"Confused?" Basch suggested. I stopped my gibberish and looked at my shoes.

"Yeah." We reverted to silence after that. This time, the quiet stillness was comforting. Before long, we reached the other three. Vaan saw me and I went to his side, matching his pace.

"Hey," I greeted casually. Vaan didn't answer and glanced at Basch. His gray eyes returned to me and glared.

"Did he do something to you?" He accused.

"What?" My voice rose to a shriek. Vaan frowned.

"Did _he_," he jabbed his chin toward Basch. "do something bad to you?" I still couldn't comprehend that he thought something like that. My hands balled into fists.

"No, of course not!" I lowered my voice a tiny bit, but it echoed across the tunnel. Vaan's narrow glare softened. I quickened my pace to a power walk. My anger was evident in my scowl as I breezed past Vaan. Didn't see his expression, didn't care.

"Hey, wait." I wouldn't wait for him!

"I would slow down if I were you," Balthier commented nonchalantly. A hidden sense of urgency was laced in his words. I obeyed robotically. Someone bumped into my back. I whirled around only to find Vaan.

"Look, I'm so-"

"You should hold that apology for later," Balthier interrupted.

No one dared to talk anymore. I clung to Vaan's arm, my eyes widening.

"Apology accepted," I whispered.

We arrived in another circular room. Across the walls the eerily familiar spear-like legs covered the room in the guise of a cage. The mimic that we faced was large, reaching the dome shaped ceiling. The abdomen glittered with many neon colors: green, blue, yellow and a hint of red. The legs twitched. This mimic appeared more machine like than the other smaller ones.

"The fates jest," Basch muttered in surprise behind us. I'd agree with him mentally, if only I knew what _jesting _meant.

"The Mist murmured of this creature," Fran spoke, fingering her bow. Despite the circumstance, she sounded calm. "The Mimic Queen." The gigantic mimic wailed in anger.

"She's the reason all the other mimics appeared here." A cock of Balthier gun's echoed feebly through the room. The mimic thrashed. My grip on Vaan's arm was surprisingly strong. Vaan was immobile as well, his mouth agape.

The Mimic Queen wailed again. Its legs stomped across and skidded, but it never lost its balance. The head lowered and I could see its small mandibles. My lips trembled. I was going to die. Vaan pried my arm off him. He unsheathed his sword.

"Stay back," Vaan warned. The _shing_ of another sword accompanied Vaan's. Basch's footfalls mixed with Vaan's as they both raced into the room. My breathing hitched. They were going to fight this thing? They could die!

Balthier shot against the mimic. He aimed at its chest. With all its violent thrashing, the shot missed. Cursing to himself, Balthier loaded his gun again. Fran took an arrow from her quiver, positioned it on her bow and fired. The arrow landed perfectly in the mimic's abdomen.

And what I was doing? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I only cowered at the fight. I gripped my hair in frustration. Why was I feeling this now?! My breathing climbed to being labored. The temperature rose again and I knew that Fran used a Fire spell or something akin to that. In a place where people had "_magic_" and weapons where did I belong? I took a step back, tears threatening to come out of my eyes. I was going to die.

My hand clasped into my wrist. I felt something cold and recalled the bangle.

Despite the violence, the urgency that surrounded me, time seemed to stop for me. Everything, from the slashed against the mimic to shots across the room, went in slow motion. My eyes misted and my vision was tinted a light blue. My eyes focused instantly on the Mimic Queen.

I knew.

I just knew. I knew the Achilles' heel of this horrendous creature. I envisioned it falling on one of its flawed shorter leg. I shook my head, but eyes never blinked or moved. I didn't want that weakness. I needed something more…_elemental_. Stretching an arm out, I could see. No blood coursed through the monster's veins. Pure electricity ran in the body. Visions of ice filled my head. All my senses were consumed by this feeling. _Ice_…no, not ice, _blizzard_.

As quickly as it came, the moment vanished. I blinked several times as I mustered my voice. My daze disappeared and determination replaced it.

"It's weak to ice!" I yelled.

Fran nodded, as if waiting for those very words. In a familiar gesture, the elegant woman opened her palm. A cool breeze permeated the room. A spell…The breeze concentrated on the mimic. It started to form into crystalline shards. The ice coated the mimic and Fran's palm. In her palm sharp shards of ice were thrust toward the Mimic Queen.

Accordingly, the gigantic mimic screeched in inhuman pain. It writhed for a moment before collapsing to the left. The abdomen and face was probably frostbitten and the crystalline ice pierced through the mimic without mercy. It was disgusting to see the monster wail and screech in agonizing pain. A shot rang out and the mimic fell silent. It was dead.

"Too much of an overkill, if I do say so myself," Balthier drawled, the gun resting on his shoulder. He sounded so at ease after killing a giant bug. I was still in shock that they killed it. I took a tentative step toward the room.

"Sephora," Vaan called and jogged closer to me. His face was flushed and he harbored scratches and cuts across his exposed skin. "Are you okay?" I laughed in surprise at his question.

"Why are you asking me that? You're the one who actually fought!" I exclaimed, out of breath. Vaan grinned. He cast a hasty Cure spell (I knew because his injuries suddenly glowed green).

"I guess you're right," Vaan said. "But you used the bangle! How did that feel? It's a cool feeling, right?" He bombarded me with questions. I couldn't help but smile.

"It felt…amazing," I replied, flexing my fingers in anticipation. Vaan chuckled.

Then, a rumbling interrupted whatever everyone was doing.

Instinctively, everybody stared at the ceiling. It rumbled and shook. Realization hit all of us repeatedly. The ceiling was collapsing. Vaan sprinted without second thoughts to the nearby exit straight ahead. Light flooded the exit. Balthier and Fran took off too. They seemed like they were used to death defying, adrenaline-pumping escapes. Basch wearily ran too, but not before giving me a fleeting glance.

I looked at the four strangers' outlines as they ran for their lives. What was I doing here? I wanted to move, but my legs stayed frozen. In this moment of peril, my thoughts went sluggishly slow. I pondered so much. What would happen if I stay here? What would happen if I followed them? I was vulnerable here. I could _die_. So many scenarios ran through my head. But I knew one thing for certain: If I stayed here in this tunnel, I'd die.

I gave a longing look back. There was no turning back now. I sprinted out of the Barheim Passage.

And we tumbled out into the arid desert.

---

**(1)** Libra=pounds in Spanish.

Now that we are past first impressions of the character…What do you think of her? Is she realistic, or a Mary-Sue? I would like to know your opinion. This chapter is the longest by far (about 5,000 words. That's the prologue and chapter 1 combined).


	4. Chapter 3: Rabanastre

Chapter 3- Rabanastre

We were free.

We were free from the infernal endless tunnel. The dry air whipped my hair relentlessly as everybody basked in the sunlight. After innumerable hours (More along the lines of a day) we escaped the Barheim Passage. And how good did it feel! But still, it was hard to forget my decision to follow those four strangers. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I pushed stray strands out of my face mechanically. The sun warmed my skin. I never knew I missed the sun so much.

"To think Dalmascan air could taste so sweet," Basch breathed out. He was facing the desert at the edge of the small cliff we were in. I cocked my head to the side. Dalmasca? We were already there? I gazed toward the desert. The wind lifted and whirled the sand around.

"We gotta be close to the city, right?" I asked to no one in particular. I turned on my heel and joined Balhtier and Fran.

"We must be in the Estersand," Balthier concluded. "Depending on the area, we could reach Rabanastre in a few hours." I blew away my bangs in irritation. Hours? We were in the tunnel for _hours_! Didn't people have a car, or at least a dune buggy for the desert? I shook my head.

"We better start walking now," I said, spotting the small ramp by the side. I suddenly got an idea and I smiled. "If we run across the desert, would be to the city in less than an hour?" I could run quicker than most of them. Balthier raised an eyebrow in amusement while Fran's mouth twitched to miniscule smirk.

"Have some errands to run in Rabanastre?" Balthier teased. Vaan was taking a rolled up parchment out of one of his pockets far from us. Basch didn't pay attention; he only let his eyes close in relaxation.

"…Yeah," I replied lamely. Remind me never to lie again. I sucked at lying. Traces from my personality came surfacing back. The shock from the Barheim Passage was breaking and my mind would soon start to analyze everything. Was that a good thing or not? Balthier's attention shifted almost immediately to Vaan. The blond haired teen (I stopped referring him as boy since he was older than I was) unrolled the piece of parchment. His face scrunched up in determination as he focused on the paper.

"By this map, I think we're only about three, maybe two, hours from Rabanastre," Vaan explained, setting the map at arm's length. He cocked his head to the side, and he wrinkled his nose. That was cute. "Hm…I think we're in the Sand-swept Naze."

"Good. We must be close to Rabanastre," Basch added, finally joining up in the loose circle we formed. In the sunlight, his skin was paler than in the tunnel. Even if it were possible, he looked more mal-nourished outside. I avoided his gaze and instead, I observed the collapsed exit. When we managed to escape the tunnel, the exit was closed off by a barrage of boulders.

"That's great," I muttered sarcastically. Gladly, nobody heard me. Vaan tucked the map back into his pocket and pointed to the south. Two to three hours seemed too long for me. I sighed and began the descent via the stone ramp. If only there was a car…

"By your leave, Captain," I heard Balthier say. Was this man built to tease? I had my back turned to them, but I could hear their collective footsteps.

"Yes, the hour of my return is already over late," Basch said seriously. "The people may hate me, but that does not free me of my charge." With that said, we plunged into the desert.

Like most people would have figured this out, the desert was hot. Painfully hot, that is. I could take the heat from sub-tropical temperatures, but not from this infernal heat. It might have been in the higher nineties or even a hundred degrees. I fanned myself accordingly. On the other hand, Vaan was apparently accustomed to this horrible heat. Balthier sauntered over the desert as if he didn't have all those pounds of clothing on him. Fran obviously looked indifferent. Basch's skin already sprouted red blotches after half an hour into the desert.

Another fact of this desert was the wildlife. Wolves were everywhere! They bared their fangs against us, made advances and growled in our direction. They waited for one of us to lower our guard to attack. They did assault us occasionally, but the wolves were no match against a quick shot or slash from a sword. Fortunately, I never fell prey to them. What I did fall prey into was for a species I wasn't really sure existed. _Fat rolling chickens_. In any other circumstances I would have laughed at those words, but not when those said fat rolling chickens pecked me every time they spotted me.

I rubbed my elbow, the recent victim of the chickens. In my fist, I clutched some small feathers and a jagged red stone. Vaan pointed out that they were worth some money. I stuffed them into my pocket and let my arms lay limp against my sides. I rounded the back while both Basch and Vaan were in the front of the group. It was strange to see both blonds together. In the tunnel, Vaan practically spat venom toward Basch. I chuckled. Now they were leading the way to Rabanastre.

A wolf eyed us. I shrugged and kicked up sand as I quickened my pace just a tiny bit. I rubbed my tired eyes. The sun killed my vision, adding black spots to it once in a while. The wolf growled. I matched my pace with Fran and Balthier.

"Hey, a wolf is following us," I said, urgency laced in my words. Beside me, Fran said nothing, but exchanged glances with Balthier. I crossed my arms impatiently. I was about to repeat what I said when Fran answered me.

"Let it be, it poses no danger to us," Fran stated, her ears curling and uncurling. Relief washed through me. To make sure she was right, I glanced at the wolf. It stopped following us as it ripped a fat rolling chicken to pieces. I turned away from the gory scene.

How much has passed since we left the tunnel? Better yet, how much till we get to Rabanastre? Two hours had passed already and I was itching to get to a city. I wanted a phone and get back home to being a normal girl.

I thought of my location again. Where in Europe would there be a desert? I only know of African and Asian deserts, but not in Europe. Strange, but those four look European to me, specially their accents. But, they were also talking in English. I though the national language in Europe was French…

"There it is!" Vaan exclaimed, pointing to the north. I squinted to get a better look. Sure enough, a weak outline of a set of buildings loomed over the horizon. Maybe it was just a few miles away. My eyes lit up with the revelation. Suddenly, I smirked.

"Hey, Vaan!" I called as I jogged to his side. He turned to me, urging me with his eyes to go on. I smiled. "Wanna race?" I asked.

"Race?" Vaan echoed. I nodded as I jogged to warm up a bit. He grinned and scanned the surroundings. "Sure! I see no wolves around."

"Great!" I eyed an amused Basch at Vaan's side. In between his beard, I saw a peek of a smile. We came to a stop. Vaan slouched forward, ready to spring forward; typical position for one not running for medals. To humor him, I did the same. I calculated the distance. By the looks of things, eight hundred meters would do the trick.

"On the count of three?" Vaan asked. I shrugged.

"Yeah."

"One…" I couldn't help it but my fingers brushed the burning sand.

"Two." I reverted to my "competition" stance. I'm sorry Vaan, but I wasn't about to hold back.

"Three!"

I whizzed past Vaan. My feet thudded lightly against the sand. My hair whipped around, but it didn't distract me with the objective at hand: getting to Rabanastre quickly and kicking someone's ass at running. I wasn't confident at everything I did, but when it came to running…well…I had an ego about that.

Hasty footsteps rivaled mine and they broke my train of thought. So Vaan wasn't as slow as I thought. I stretched my legs further to create more distance. The city's outline intensified and focused even more. The colors of the buildings were more noticeable now. I pushed my legs to run faster.

I didn't care about the others now. I didn't care of the dangers of the desert, or its heat or the fat rolling chickens. All I cared about was the race. I became a one-track mind for an instant. Beating the opponent, the thrill of the race, all of it felt wonderful. A laugh grew in my chest and the large guffaw left my lips with intensity.

The city was closer now! I could see the people bustling around the entrance. I sprinted now, feeling weightless now. Close to me, but behind me, Vaan struggled to keep up. The city, a city, civilization, I could finally return.

As if passing a finish line, once I crossed the border between desert sand to brick I slowed and held my hands up over my head. I breathed heavily and placed my hands on my head, to make breathing easier. Few seconds later, Vaan came huffing about. His face flushing, his chest heaving, Vaan rested his hands on his knees.

"You…run…fast…" Vaan huffed out. Some people turned to stare at us and walked away after a sideway glance. I steadied my breathing so I could answer him.

"I know," I replied cockily. "But, you run…pretty fast too, Vaan," I complemented. I glanced back toward the desert, distinguishing three figures still in the sands. "Guess they were left in the back, right?" I jabbed my chin toward the others.

"Yeah, I guess so." Vaan scratched the back of his neck. Suddenly, his hand rummaged through his pocket. His eyes became frantic for a moment.

"What's wrong?" I asked, out of concern. Vaan ignored me as his hand dug deeper into his pocket (if that was possible). Our breathing turned from erratic to evened, but Vaan's picked up the pace. After a few moments of tension, he sighed in relief.

"It's still there," Vaan said and pulled out a stone. It was orange in hue and reflected the sunlight eerily. I was afraid to touch it or even see it. I clasped my hands behind my back. He then noticed me and straightened up. He smiled sheepishly. "Heh, sorry for that." I waved it off as we waited for the others to arrive. My gaze never left the entrance; I didn't want to see the city yet.

Sure enough, Fran, Balthier and Basch arrived to the entrance. All of them, even the stoic Fran, found us amusing because of our little race. Vaan and I received them with matching grins. The race lifted my mood immensely.

We all walked deeper into the entrance. This seemed like a gate to enter the city itself. The contraption to enter the city was made of metal and by the look of it was complex. My gaze surveyed the whole of the gate.

I was awestruck by the sight of it. I absorbed everything; every color, every person, every hushed whisper or booming laugh, even the mysterious humans around here. I was getting overwhelmed with so much. Civilization, how long was I away from it? I wasn't in some dark, musty tunnel or a blazing desert anymore.

I saw people bustling about with their business, wearing breezy clothing. Rabbit eared women (I think it was viera) ambled through gracefully, although in smaller numbers. Large, grotesque creatures with a smiley face on their protruding stomach hobbled across the gate. They resembled bipedal pigs in varying shades. I shuddered as my eyes spotted another weird animal-human thing. They were gigantic, reptilian and overall tough. Their muzzles (how can they talk and yell, at all?) were stretched, their body covered in glittering scales. Lastly, a small fuzzy rodent with a pom-pom on the top of its head with small wings sauntered around.

This was so surreal. How can _things_ like that be on the same level as humans? Were they sentient, like us? I glanced desperately at Balthier, Basch and Vaan. They were fine with it. Fran, who looked the most human-like, wasn't perturbed either. Couldn't be real. No. Impossible. This—this…

_It was like it didn't exist at all…_

I let those words sink in as the other four talked around me. Luckily, my name wasn't mention and I was reduced to background. With glazed eyes, I observed them. Only observed. I made no attempt to talk, make myself noticed. The uplift in mood diminished.

"The Resistance would soon find me…" Basch said. "Fates will…" his voice was muddled to a few _mumble mumbles_ in my mind. Barely noticed that after Basch spoke, he left, blending into the crowd.

Balthier tuned to Vaan and talked and talked and talked. I-I were they real? Was this a dream? Will I wake up anytime soon? Balthier and Fran turned from me and began to leave.

"What about the stone?" Vaan piped up. That was when I blinked back to reality. Fran shook her head, snow hair swaying.

"Do as you like, the stone is ill favored," Balthier explained casually. Stone? My eyes went to the orange jagged stone in Vaan's hands.

"We feel regret," Fran added in her accented voice. "We sought that stone and found ourselves only worry." Her wise words had no effect on me whatsoever. I guess I was still background.

"You offering it?" Balthier teased Vaan, his hand outstretched mockingly. Vaan shook his head wildly and something about his expression made me chuckle.

"It's mine!" Vaan clutched the stone harder and pocketed it. I stifled a yawn, not from boredom. Exhaustion blanketed my body. The strain of walking through a tunnel and a desert non-stop made itself apparent. Balthier kept teasing Vaan for a while, but left alongside Fran.

Vaan and I stood alone now. He faced me, but his eyes shifted from side to side.

"You have a place to go here too?" he asked. I bit my lip and didn't meet his gray eyes.

"No." Might as well be honest with that. Vaan blinked slowly and nodded to himself. "Were you expecting I leave like the others?" A hint of accusation wafted through my tone. Vaan shook his head rapidly.

"No, it's not that. I heard you say you had something to do in Rabanastre so I thought that you…had a place to stay…" he trailed off. I stiffened. He heard that? I rubbed my elbow and felt the prickle of the chicken's attack.

"Well, I didn't expect going there so suddenly," I lied, none too smoothly may I add. Vaan bought it, though.

"Well, I'll help you if you help me. How does that sound?" I blinked in surprise. That easily he would help me?

"Fine…So what do I have to do, _oh great Vaan_?" Vaan smiled at that. He patted his pocket.

"First, I gotta get rid of this stone," Vaan said, but paused. "Maybe I'll show it to Penelo first and _then_ I'll get rid of it." I nodded.

"So where's Penelo?" And who was she, by the way? Vaan started walking toward the metallic giant gate.

"Probably working in Migelo's Sundries," Vaan replied, leading me through the gate. His eyes landed on me for a second. I suddenly felt self-conscious. We took some stairs up, opening to a plaza. Right in the middle of it, a large marble fountain stood. The water flowed out peacefully.

"I think it's better to go take a shower first," Vaan said out of the blue. I looked down to my dusty clothes and blushed.

I laughed in embarrassment, my only reaction. "I guess you're right."

* * *

Things were moving too fast for me. Too, too fast.

Well, that's what I thought. I grimaced as the water turned to a grayish brown color. I couldn't believe myself either. I let myself be led to a stranger's house and be offered a shower. Can you find something wrong with that? Everybody would, but at the moment I decided to follow Vaan, my mind clouded over.

I scrubbed hard against my skin until it became raw. And now, Vaan left me on the house alone so he could find this Penelo. But, the way down to this little two room loft was eccentric. He called it Lowtown. A fitting name I suppose. In every corner, glinting eyes glared and followed you. I shuddered at the recent memory. The place held an aura of suffering. I saw some really young orphans on the way. Merchants tried selling me some "potions" and antidotes. However, they didn't pursue when they saw the state of my attire.

The water turned from lukewarm to icy cold in an instant. I yelped and groped for the faucet. I though too much and forgot to turn the water off. This was too much for me. Time didn't hesitate to thrust upon me so much in little time. I whipped my head, sending stray droplets everywhere. Bah, get a hold of yourself!

I stepped out uneasily. Vaan helped me find new clothe to wear. Penelo's to be exact. I blushed at that. Why was he helping me so much? I felt so uncomfortable. Trust was something I gave easily. Vaan was the opposite. He met me literally hours ago and he let me into his home. It didn't help that he was hospitable as well. I was a leech for him, that's what I think anyway.

I glared at my reflection. My mirror image copied my expression. My short dark hair was sopping wet, sticking to my neck. Burgundy eyes accused me, saying how I took advantage of Vaan.

"Advantage?" I snorted. He was the one offering everything. I was in a foreign place with no communication (that I know of) whatsoever. I quickly dried myself off. I glanced at the rumpled pile of clothes by the shower. Besides the sink, another, neater, pile of clothes greeted me. I picked up the shirt, a light blue sleeved tee. Penelo had good taste; I'll give the faceless person that. The knee length brown shorts would fit me too.

I slipped into my new attire. I also learned another thing about the faceless Penelo: She was petite. So try imagining a five feet, eight inches girl struggling to get into a smaller shirt. I squeaked as I hopped on one foot and hit the opposite wall in the struggle. Finally, after minutes (more like seconds) of fighting against the beautifully simple shirt, I pushed it down to my body. It fit. I sighed in relief.

I put on the shorts hastily, dried my hair and left the bathroom. I ran my fingers through my hair, in an attempt to brush them. It was tangled and I ended pulling my hair several times. I entered the main room. It was devoid of human life.

"Vaan?" I called. My reply was a small echo. Hm…He still hasn't finished meeting with Penelo. My eyes wandered aimlessly around the room. A sofa was the centerpiece of the room. I deliberately sat on it, waiting for Vaan to come. I sunk into the sofa, the springs clinking loudly in protest.

"Oof!" I decided to stay there, despite the slight sinking. I looked up and met mildew on the ceiling. Shuddering, I lowered my gaze to the small kitchenette. A small stove and refrigerator plus many drawers and cabinets adorned the kitchen. I crossed my legs and watched me calf's muscles roll. Fours years in the track team. Four years full—

I heard the door click and I immediately ceased my musing and sat up straight. I tensed, narrowing my eyes. Holding my breath I waited for the door to creak open. Could it be Penelo? Vaan? A burglar?

The door opened fully. I let my breath out.

"Vaan, you're here," I said, standing up with difficulty. He entered, hands stuffed in his pockets. I anticipated another person to come in, but when minutes passed and no one came I shook my head. "Where's Penelo?" I asked.

"Kytes says she hasn't seen her all day," Vaan said, disgruntled. Kites? What can of name is that? Vaan frowned and crossed his arms.

"Well, are we gonna look for her, then?" I suggested, walking up to him. Vaan shook his head; I raised an eyebrow.

"I gotta go to Old Dalan first to do some errand for Kytes. Want to come?" Without hesitation I nodded. I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want my mind wander too much. Thoughts could surface; thoughts that I didn't want to face.

"Of course."

We left the small house and traversed through Lowtown again. Maybe a second impression would change how I saw it.

An old man groveled and moaned on the floor. I inched just a bit toward Vaan. He didn't seem to mind, but his gray eyes hardened to steel. Kids played across the street, imitating pirates and giggling. How could they be so happy living like this? They didn't have a mother or a father to care for them, yet they smile and play like any other kid. The kids waved at Vaan for a second before resuming playing .I glanced at Vaan secretly. Was he like them? An orphan?

"So, why were you near Nalbina Fortress?" Vaan asked suddenly. I nearly jumped at the question. Not a very nice icebreaker.

"Where did that come from?" I managed to reply. My hands fidgeted over my shirt. Calm down! It was just an innocent question. Vaan's eyes roamed Lowtown before talking.

"I find it strange that we found a girl like you there…" Vaan said, his gaze still roaming through. I was glad though, he couldn't see my exasperated stare. What do I do now? "It's just strange, that's all." I relaxed somewhat at that.

"You know…I-" Why was I talking? The words spilled themselves out. I had no control of this anymore. "I find it strange, too." I bit my lip. At least I wasn't lying. Vaan turned to me quickly, surprised.

"You don't remember?"

I shook my head. "No." My voice turned faint. I noticed we both stopped walking. Vaan's hand came to my shoulder. I met his eyes. I didn't know what mine showed, but his were apologetic.

"I'm sorry." I smiled weakly.

"So, where is this Dalan person?" I changed the subject. Vaan blinked and jerked his head to the left. Sure enough, a small door leading to a house waited. The door had a small blue-green tinted window. "What are we waiting for?" I urged. Time to move forward. Maybe I was the one to blame for time moving quickly. Vaan said nothing as he led through the door. He didn't bother knocking.

A sickly intoxicating smell wafted through my senses as I entered the cramped room. I coughed into my hand, trying to dull the loud rasp it made. My eyes watered instantly. The people around this room were oblivious or accustomed to it. I kept close to Vaan as we both drew stares. A woman by the door raised an eyebrow directly at me. I narrowed by eyes at her. What's her problem?

"Well, well. Look who we have here!" The eldest from the group of people gathered here exclaimed in a thick accent. His tanned skin contrasted with his long white beard. On his lap, a small bunny laid placidly as the old man stroked it absently. With his other hand, he held the water pipe close to his mouth as he exhaled a silvery smoke. "Ratsbane and an unfamiliar face."

"Oh, yeah, her name is Sephora," Vaan introduced me. Dalan nodded in acknowledgment.

"Tell me, child, where do you hail from?" I blinked in surprise.

"E-Excuse me?" What kind o f question was that? Was this place full of horrible icebreakers! A twinkle in Dalan's old eyes teased me.

"You heard me right, child." With a wave of his hand, the other people left. I heard the last person, the woman who stared at me intently, shut the door. Vaan turned to me, his eyes full of questions. His gray eyes understood after a second of silence.

"You remember where you live, right Sephora?" he asked me. My gaze lingered on Dalan. His lips formed a sleazy smirk.

"Why are you asking me that?" I couldn't help it, I had to ask that. I wasn't a very good liar, but what I _can _do is evade the question. Dalan chuckled.

"You don't look Dalmascan at all, even through your accent points otherwise," Dalan replied. Vaan's gaze intensified on me. Vaan agreed with Dalan. My hands curled to fists tightly. My legs wanted to jolt, wanted to run away from that question. Vaan's imploring gaze, Dalan's waiting one; I wanted them to change the subject. Vaan's hand to my shoulder did nothing to ease me.

This place had me tongue tied all the time. What should I answer? Europe wasn't like this. They'll ask in a more comforting form, helping me along the one. Not this. This felt so much different, surreal even. I bit my lip and raised my eyes to Dalan. I released a shaky breath.

"I'm not Dalmascan," I started, my voice wavering, "I live really far away from here." I wanted to hit myself. It was like saying out-front that I was evading the question! Dalan raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Do you now?" Dalan whispered. His gaze turned to Vaan and immediately his voice came out cheerful. "Heard you were sent off to Nalbina?"

"And I got out of there as fast as I could," Vaan said. I was glad the attention diverted to Vaan. "But it was all worth it, Dalan. Here, look at this!" Vaan then proceeded to take the orange stone from his pocket.

"My, my, my, quite a treasure you've got there," Dalan murmured. I eyed the stone suspiciously. The feeling of getting away from the stone was still there.

"Well, you know, I couldn't have done it without your help," Vaan said. I almost rolled my eyes.

"Um…didn't you say you had some errand to do here, Vaan?" I cut in nervously. This place and the stone sent shivers down my spine. I was uncomfortable; the smell did nothing to soothe me. Something in Vaan's mind clicked and he nodded.

"Hey, Dalan, you had Kytes do an errand for you?" Vaan said and Dalan nodded.

"Yes, yes, the boy Kytes. I think you should be the one who would be suitable for this errand, Vaan," Dalan explained as he rummaged behind his throne-like seat. I crossed my arms and glanced at the door. Come on, come on…

"That's-that's a Sword of the Old Order!" Vaan's eyes bulged out and his mouth was left agape. My eyes quickly went to the sheathed sword, Dalan held. Its hilt was large and an opaque gold color.

"There's a fellow by the name of Azelas and I need you to bring this sword to him," Dalan said, handing it to Vaan gingerly. Vaan's expression was still one of surprise. I stood by quietly. "Speak my name when you arrive. That should be enough to get you in to see him." Dalan outstretched his hand. Vaan took his map and gave it to Dalan. I bit my lip. Why was this taking so long?

_Leave_, my body urged me. I obeyed silently, as I turned. I did manage a small glance to Vaan. He didn't seem to mind, or he hasn't notice yet. I was glad, though. The room felt suddenly too hot. The smell suffocated me. Or was it the stone? I shook my head softly, my hair starting to dry. Hmp, which probably meant the horrible smell, would be in my hair.

"…I need to find where Penelo…" I could hear Vaan suggest. I didn't hear the rest as I shut the door behind me.

"You have no right to be here." I whipped my head around for the one who said that. My eyes landed on the woman from before. Her dark blue eyes measured me critically while she chuckled and shook her head. "What am I saying? The girl is as clueless as a Giza rabbit."

"What…" I struggled to find words. "Do you know-"

"I know very well where you come from, hume of Earth." My eyes widened at that. She…knew? H-How?! How was I sure that she meant my home? Since when did I start thinking that this place was separate from Earth?

"Hume?" I echoed feebly. The woman had the audacity to scoff.

"In other words, _human_. I have been living here enough to know the terms of Ivalice," she said sharply. I picked out a…Southern drawl on the woman- subtle, but still there. Ivalice? Is that the place where I am?

"This isn't Europe…?" I trailed off in disbelief. The woman crossed her arms and shook her head softly. "Then, where am I?" It was barely a whisper. The woman's expression hardened, but not viciously. It was a bitter understanding she held, like when someone is about to tell you bad news.

The door opened suddenly. I jumped and the woman sighed. Vaan came out, holding the sword. He raised an eyebrow at the woman, whose expression became blank.

"Oh, Sephora, thought you left," Vaan sighed. He didn't spare a glance at the blue eyed woman. "Come on! I'm going to deliver the sword to Azelas!" He started to power walk through the alleys of Lowtown.

"Go, you have found your goal now."

I nodded reluctantly and left the woman uneasily.

I never looked back.

* * *

This chapter was going to be longer than is -.-'. But, since it kept stretching and stretching so much, I decided to divide it into two chapters. Thanks for the reviews. I won't be updating as frequent as with this pre-written chapters, pls with so many things from school and blah blah blah and Writer's Block...so yeah, sorry about that XD

Please review!


	5. Chapter 4 Alliance

Chapter 4: Alliance

My heart still pounded against my chest. Who was that woman? I willed myself to not look back- back to _her._ I was blocked from the rest of the world, the erratic beating of my heart the only sound.

Ivalice.

I had never heard of that in my life.

I was vaguely aware that Vaan called my name several times already.

"What is it?" I didn't intent on sounding so harsh. All the confusion inside of me was already affecting the way I talk. Not good. My lips parted while they trembled softly. One glance down and I saw my hands curled into fists.

Vaan's grey eyes questioned me, but he didn't voice it yet. "You look a little pale," he said. Then in a move I didn't anticipate, "Was it what the woman said to you?"

I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. My hammering heart never relaxed and did the opposite. How can I answer that when I can barely string thoughts together?

"I-I don't know her," I blurted out. That didn't convince Vaan. He raised an eyebrow.

"She looked like she knows you," he countered. I turned panicky. My thoughts raced and I wanted my legs to do the same. I longed to run away from this situation right now. Call me a coward, I don't care, but the animalistic instinct to run was strong in me. I repressed my instincts and replied.

"Well, she was wrong," I said quickly, "She mistook me for someone else."

Vaan didn't buy that one. "Then why did you freak out?"

"I didn't." I touched my cheek absently. Did I look pale?

Vaan, thankfully, didn't pursue any further. He beckoned me to follow anyway through the squalors of Lowtown. In his hands, the sword that Dalan gave him was still clutched tightly. I walked behind Vaan, not wanting to meet his face. In all my desperation I forgot who I was talking to. Vaan wasn't just some school friend from home, he helped me. I completely lost my cool at him.

All because of that woman and her… weird words!

Now, my thoughts drifted from my little _desperado_ act and back to what actually gave me said _desperado_ attack. Though, I didn't want to dwell so much. I like the drum of my heart when I'm racing, not in such a situation with that lady. The thrill of racing was so distant to this.

Again, her words haunted me. Ivalice, Giza rabbit, Hume. They swirled around inside my head, muddling my common sense till I had none. I nibbled my lip in thought. Could she be crazy? Could _I _be the crazy one for not understanding her words? I scoffed alone, many eyes glanced toward me. I stared back rather uneasily. Something about their eyes unnerved me; hollow, empty eyes.

I gulped and sped up a bit.

Anyway, I should forget that woman. In a place where I found everything so confusing, throwing her into the equation did nothing but worsen the situation. But, one word did it for me. Said word still revolved around my head.

Hume.

_Hume_.

"We're…humes?" I tested the word out, foreign in my tongue.

"Of course we are," Vaan said, surprising me that he answered. "Last time I checked I wasn't a Bangaa." I chuckled and smiled. I had no idea what a Bangaa was.

"Look…um…" I was starting to apologize, but I instantly regretted it. Apologize for what, anyway? For not telling him about the woman? Vaan glanced over his shoulder, grey eyes waiting for me. "What did you talk with that Dalan guy?" I held me hands behind my back like a meek schoolgirl.

"Nothing much, just to keep an eye out if he sees Penelo," Vaan replied casually, shrugging his shoulders.

"Just like that, huh?" I said airily. I felt as if I was talking to a good friend about some random thing, not with a boy I just met. Vaan had this personality that drew me in, though, like if I could actually trust this guy.

"Yeah, but Dalan always asks for something in return." Vaan raised the sword for emphasis. I nodded in understanding. Dalan sounded like a trader more than anything. I ran a hand through my now dry, short hair.

"My hair stinks," I said out of the blue. Vaan cracked a smile at that. "The smell in Dalan's house stuck to my wet hair back then." I flashed a sheepish smile. "Now it stinks."

"I got used to the smell."

I let loose a small laugh. Just for a moment, I was forgetting. Forgetting where I was, who I was now. I indulged this small moment of normalcy because now it would come to an end.

An end to my illusion of this place.

We slowed to a stop in front of dead end in Lowtown. Grimy checkered tiles adorned the floor. Flickering lights created this lazy atmosphere that gave me small chills. The shops were either abandoned or closed. Crates covered the dead end.

It was deserted, apart from one man sitting in one of the crates. He was staring at the dirt stained floor with listless brown eyes. His shaggy black hair covered his worn face. He wasn't old, but something about him told me he had been through a lot.

He noticed out presence quickly enough and his head jerked up and his eyes glared a hole through Vaan.

"What do you want?" he demanded. I crossed my arms. Vaan seemed unaffected by his harshness so he answered.

"I'm supposed to deliver something to a man, name of Azelas." Something flickered briefly in the man's eyes at the mention of this Azelas. The man stood up, crossing his arms. "This is the place, right?" Vaan asked. I sighed as the man (let's call him Jim) glared at Vaan even more.

"And who told you that?" Jim raised an eyebrow, maybe not believing that a pair of teenagers would know of this "Azelas".

I, instead of paying attention to their talking, let my mind wander. I tapped my foot, the boots making faint clicking sounds. One thing I detested was staying put in one place like a statue. Being in constant movement soothed me.

Again, I was barely aware when I was led through by Vaan. We passed the crates and Jim and, to my amazement, to a pair of doors. Vaan pushed them open.

Light bathed my vision.

It was insanely bright and I squinted to get accustomed to it. Vaan tugged at my arm more and pulled me in.

"Then the Captain would be brother to a Judge! How are we to trust such a- "

"I can walk on my own," I muttered under my breath. Suddenly, Vaan stopped which made me bump into his back. I yelped and tumbled around.

Strong hands wrapped themselves around my waist. Soft green eyes glared at me, suspicion alight.

"Who are you? How did Balzac let you in?" he barked. I recovered my breath, trying to answer. He wasn't the only one in this room. Three pair of eyes all stared at my little fumble and Vaan's entrance.

I, being a clueless teenager, spouted the first thing that came into mind.

"Who's Balzac?"

"Let her go, Basim," one of the men in the room said. I mentally rooted for him. "Keep an eye out for her in case she makes a run for it." I frowned, my eyes landing on Vaan. As my feet returned to the ground, my frown deepened.

A door opened, catching the attention of everybody in the room.

"Now there's the Basch I remember."

Basch.

_Basch?_

_That_ Basch?

A man came through another door. His blond hair brushed his shoulders and his blue eyes popped out. But what gave away his identity was the telltale scar over one of his eyebrows.

"Then will you fight again by my side?" Basch asked. Now there was no doubt that the man was Basch; his voice was the same.

"Basch," I whispered despite myself. Beside me, Vaan's face was scrunched up in confusion.

"What is he doing here?" Vaan mouthed in disbelief. He clutched the Sword of the Order tighter now, his gauntlets screeching quietly.

The room gave in to an uproar. All the men started to talk at the same time; ones in protest, others in agreement. I was surprised at all of this and retreated a few steps back. I could have escaped now, but I was mildly curious about this.

"His word alone convinces me of nothing!"

"I'd take his word over that of a mouthpiece Marquis."

"Then you name Reks liar with him."

Someone growled.

"My brother was no liar!" Vaan strode forward, anger flashing across his eyes.

"Vaan!" I said, coming forward, but staying far behind from him. Basim sent a glare in my direction.

"Just the opposite," Basch said, trying to soothe Vaan's outburst. "Reks was the witness they needed. They had to make it appear as if I'd killed the King," Basch paused, gazing at Vaan with a sorrowful expression, "Reks bears no blame." His words felt heavy around the room. "The Fates have willed it." A tense silence fell over everybody. I noticed that Basch refers a lot to these "Fates". Was he polytheist or something? I chose not to think about that.

A man with short brown hair and with sideburns and a short beard scowled and in a swift move, snatched Vaan's sword. So rude! His chocolate brown eyes scrutinized Vaan; he was searching for something.

"So this is Rek's brother" he said. "Your words may convince this child, but they weigh too lightly on the scales for my tastes."

Wait…

Did he call Vaan a gullible kid?

Vaan's mouth was a thin line; he refused to say anything. I glanced at the exit; all I wanted to do now was leave. This place was full of unwanted and unresolved tension. I didn't belong here. To ease away this feeling, I tapped my foot against the floor softly.

The brown haired man turned to Basch. "Our paths will remain separate."

"Do you not think Amalia worth saving, Vossler?" Basch challenged calmly.

Vossler sighed; it reminded me of how a parent would tolerate his child. "I hold men's lives in my hands. I must see foes in every shadow." _My nose itched_. "The night we moved against Vayne, he knew. I will not chance such disadvantage again." I couldn't hold it any longer. "I must treat you as I would Ondore--"

I sneezed.

Every pair of eyes glared in my direction.

Shit.

Basim stifled a chuckle and Vaan's eyes widened. Basch seemed to acknowledge my existence with a surprised expression. Vossler's expression darkened, his eyes boring into mine.

My cheeks burned in embarrassment. I suddenly found the ground to be very interesting.

"You can keep going now," I mumbled. Could I sound any more…Argh! There was more silence and I was afraid to even look up to see what was happening.

"Basch, I must treat you as I would to Ondore," Vossler resumed to my relief. "As I would treat any abettor of the Empire."

"Then what will you do? Hold me here in chains?"

I lost the meaning of this heated verbal fencing. I was still too embarrassed to even glance up. This was not the best place to be. Better yet, could I still make a run for it while nobody noticed?

"Nice going," I heard Basim whisper close by. Biting my lip, I raised my head finally to see Vossler and Basch glaring at each other. It seemed men here had short attention spans.

I was left wide-eyed when Vossler threw the sword over to Basch in one swift motion.

"Some things never change, do they?" Basch murmured, catching the sword almost effortlessly.

"Listen to me, Basch. Your cage may have no bars, but it is a cage. The eyes of the resistance watch unblinking."

"Let them watch; I know something of cages."

I blinked at the exchange. I felt like if I just witnessed a macho moment. Basch turned away from Vossler and headed for the door, Vaan tailing him. Finally! I would leave. I didn't know what kept me before, but now I had an excuse to leave.

With a smile on my lips, I glanced back at Basim (he looked in a mix between awe and outrage at the exchange) and walked out.

…

Or so I thought.

My arm was caught in a massive vice grip. I looked over my shoulder, alarmed. It was Vossler. My breathing hitched. What did I do now?

"Who are you?" he snarled close to my ear. The hairs on my neck stood up.

"I-I" I only stuttered, no words forming. He intimidated me. Unlike the woman, he was bigger, taller and downright scary. I struggled to free my arm, but it was no use. His grip tightened even more.

"Out with it!"

"Let her go, Vossler." I whipped my head around to see Basch and Vaan still in the entrance. Vaan glared at Vossler directly.

"Basch, did you not see her in this room?" Vossler asked. "She could be an Archadian spy for all we know." A _what_?!

"I'm-I'm not an Archadian –or whatever- spy!" I said of desperation. Vossler turned to me, a scowl on his lips. "Honest! Let me go!"

"Even if you weren't," Vossler said, "You have knowledge of the Resistance; _valuable_ knowledge. _You_ know that Basch fon Ronsenburg is alive; _you _know that the Dalmascan Resistance lives."

"I'll keep the secret." This in fact was what I was planning all along. This made the resolve even stronger.

"Sephora won't tell," Vaan added. "She's not even Archadian." I sent him a fleeting grateful smile.

Vossler wouldn't budge, though. His eyes scrutinized my face for any sign of a lie. I hoped he found none. With a scoff, he let go of my arm. I rubbed my arm, stumbling toward Basch and Vaan.

"I would keep it to my grave," I whispered. I didn't remembered what I referred to that. Was it my anger toward Vossler or what I heard that day? But one thing was for certain; I was in too deep in matters I didn't know about.

I breathed out in relief as we left the Resistance's hideout to Lowtown.

I didn't pay attention to Basch's and Vaan's conversation. I did hear something along the lines of a woman named Amalia. Preoccupied with calming my heart, I followed the men blindly.

Minutes passed and I was calmed down enough. We were climbing some iron stairs up. I remembered them; I used them to get into Lowtown. I smiled. We were leaving Lowtown. I glanced back briefly, seeing the hollow eyes of the people, the squalor they lived and looked no more.

It wasn't like I'll come back, right?

Sunlight met my face. I grinned, closing my eyes for a moment. It felt like an eternity being underground. "The sun feels good," I said. The sun felt real on my skin; _was_ real. Why did I think that it was fake?

"Hey, Basch," I called. I needed to distract myself. Vaan led the way (again) and Basch matched my pace. "You…changed clothes." My cheeks were tinged pink.

"You and I both," he said, glancing briefly at my attire.

"Come on! You guys are behind," Vaan added in, a few feet away. He was enthusiastic for something. The way his walk was faster than before, the way his eyes were alight because of a hidden feeling. I shrugged and added speed to my pace. Then I remembered I had no idea where we were going.

"So…" I looked up to the blue, cloudless sky. "Where are we going?" I asked softly.

"I requested for Vaan to take me to Balthier," Basch replied beside me.

"Balthier? Why?" My gaze lowered to meet Basch's. His blue eyes were set straight ahead. I wondered why Basch would need to see the British man. Wasn't he a sky pirate or something like that?

The busy streets filled the silence that had developed. Kids running around and playing along the many shops. The sun shined overhead, casting shadows along the cobblestone streets. It was probably midday, by the way the sun felt on my skin. Shielding my eyes suddenly, I turned to Basch.

"You don't have to answer, if you don't want to," I said as an afterthought. As much as I wanted to know, sometimes it was better not to know.

"No, if you want to kn-"

"It's okay, really." I waved my hand in dismissal. "You know what they say: curiosity killed the cat." I was a hypocrite for even saying that. I was the first, when given the chance, to ask away.

"You mean coeurl," Basch corrected gently. I tried my hardest to ignore that. Basch would say so many weird names that made my head spin. I brushed my hair behind my ears, my fingers getting stuck a few times.

"Yeah, okay," I said absently, nodding to myself. After I untangled my hair, I crossed my arms. Armored men with large helmets were posted every corner, their heads inclining once in a while. Who wore armor in a desert city? Vaan still led the way, taking us over a wide turn.

With only the sounds of the city around us, we walked. No one bothered to break the silence. A small boy crossed our path, stumbling around as two other girls chased him, laughing all the way. Where were their parents? I surveyed the street quickly, but no adult paid attention to them. What about their mothers? They would be worried sick, or maybe…maybe…the kids _didn't_ have one.

My throat constricted, or maybe a lump formed in it.

I needed to distract myself. I had to do something! I eyed Vaan quickly and strode beside him, leaving Basch behind.

"Where do you think Balthier is?" I asked in a rush. Vaan glanced over his shoulder briefly, and then settled his gaze to me.

"Being a sky pirate, the Sandsea," Vaan said, hopefully ignoring my misty eyes. "We're close from it, you know. It's right there." He pointed toward double doors near various red flags bearing a symbol that look like two snakes. His hand fell slack by his side and his eyes adopted a distant, faraway look. Come to think of it, even Basch had the same expression after he caught up with us.

"A lot of kids lost their parents in the war," Vaan said, gazing at the children with a knowing expression.

War?

What war? Was it the war Basch mentioned while in the tunnel?

"Mine-mine," Vaan continued, "had already died before that." I pressed my lips together. I didn't want to hear that; I didn't want to learn his past this quickly.

_I don't want to feel attached to anyone._

I spotted the door Vaan pointed before, hidden by several cream colored pillars. I ran toward them, eyes on the verge on crying. Crying for what? That he was an orphan or- or pity or-

"This sucks," I muttered, leaving the other two to talk outside. I pushed the door open, entering in all haste.

I almost had a mood whiplash. From the near blinding sun I entered a dim lit bar. In every small round table, a small oil lamp sat there, giving atmosphere. The low rumble of patrons talking mixed with the clinking of bottles and glasses. I walked inside, hesitating for a brief moment. Was I even old enough to be in a bar? Then I caught a little furry…_thing_ (I had no idea what it was back then), slumped against the wall, hiccupping. That thing was smaller than I was.

"You!" A raspy voice cried out. I jumped, thinking it was for me.

_I'm busted! I'm not supposed to be in a bar at all__. _

I was relieved when the voice wasn't directed at me but at a pair upstairs. I was brushed aside none too gently by a giant…scaly …blue lizard. My jaw must have hit the floor in astonishment. He had a large muzzle, and his beady black eyes glinted. I watched as he climbed the stairs furiously. I craned my neck up; curious to see why was the fuzzy lizard so mad.

My heart skipped a beat when I saw a pair of familiar sky pirates sitting on one of the upstairs' chairs.

"Where have they taken Penelo?" The lizard rasped out, his eyes narrowed to a glare.

"I believe I don't know what you're talking about," Balthier drawled, crossing his legs. Beside him, Fran crossed her arms, her ears twitching ever so slightly. Subconsciously, I climbed one rung of the stairs.

And another.

And another one.

I gripped the banister tightly as the lizard kept on ranting angrily.

"Don't play games with me!" The lizard said, clutching a small letter in his clawed hands.

"We know not of this Penelo," Fran added, her amber eyes on the lizard. I took another step up, my lips parted in curiosity. Fran's eyes flickered to me and in an instant I knew I was _really_ busted. But then, something odd happened to Fran. Her usually stoic face changed when she saw me. Her eyes widened by just a fraction and for once, she looked as if she wasn't breathing at all. She only stared at me, not at the lizard, not at Balthier, only me.

This must have gone for a while because the attention shifted to Fran. Balthier coked an eyebrow at me, his hazel eyes switching between Fran and me. My brow knitted together; what was wrong with him?

"Did…you say Penelo?" The words left my mouth before I could stop them. The lizard whipped his head to my direction.

"You know of Penelo?" He asked.

"I…well…I know she's Vaan friend. He told me that." My eyes never settled for one place for long. I was babbling; I never babbled. But when three pairs of eyes were boring holes into you, it was hard not to blab. "And he told me, he couldn't find her today." The blue lizard shook his head sadly. I climbed the rest of the stairs, awkwardly towering over the hunched blue lizard.

His saddened eyes turned to hard onyx as he regarded Balthier. "And thanks to this Balthier, she's been kidnapped!"

"It's probably a misunderstanding," Balthier dismissed casually.

"Misunderstanding? How can it be a misunderstanding if the note was directed to Balthier?" the lizard raged.

"Like I said, a misunderstanding."

"No it's not. Because of you, they've taken Penelo!"

"What? What about Penelo?" Vaan joined the conversation, Basch behind him. His grey eyes looked hectic. The lizard turned to Vaan, gesturing helplessly.

"Oh, Vaan! They've taken Penelo!" The lizard glared at Balthier now, anger seeping into his words. "And there was a note- a note for _this_ Balthier. Come to Bhujerba mines, it said."

"Migelo--"

"It's Ba'Gamnan," Fran interrupted, "He was in Nalbina." I scooted a bit so Vaan and Basch could climb all the stairs up. I had no idea what this Nalbina was or who this Ba'Gamnan guy was_. Calladita te ves mas bonita_, I repeated mentally again as I watched the conversation unfold.

"If anything were to happen to that sweet child--why I've her parents' memories to consider!" The lizard, Migelo, rasped out. "You're going to her aid, and that's that! It's what you sky pirates do, isn't it?"

"I don't respond well to orders." Balthier's words reminded of another person; no, an actor who said something like that… "You do know that the Imperial fleet is massing at Bhujerba?"

Okay…

I inched a little bit toward the stairs. This was getting too crazy. Forget the fact that a blue lizard thingy existed in the first place. All of this was going too fast and the way things were going I might be drag—

"Fine, then I'll go!" Vaan burst out. "You at least have an airship, don't you? Just get me there, and I'll find Penelo myself."

"I'll join you," Basch announced, standing forward, his face set. "I have some business there as well."

There was a small, miniscule silence. What did they expect? That I join in to their little field trip or something? I crossed my arms, uncomfortable and a little irritated by all of this.

"An audience with the Marquis, by chance?" Balthier suggested with a smirk, elbows resting on the table, chin on his fists. I glanced downstairs, spotting the door. Maybe I could slip away from all of this and leave them for good now?

"Balthier," Vaan said after a brief pause. In his hands was that eerie red-orange stone. The stone's glow pulsed beneath Vaan's hands as if it were alive with energy. "Just take us and this is yours." I took an involuntary step back. _It's that thing again,_ I thought bitterly.

"The gods are toying with us," Fran stated and I couldn't help but agree with her somewhat. I wanted to run away from that stone like back at Dalan's house. I smiled weakly, remembering the confrontation with the woman right now. Of all the places, the memory played itself now again and again in my mind.

Balthier shared a brief look with Fran before they both stood up.

"Make yourselves ready. We leave soon." And with that the sky pirates took their leave, leaving the bar, Migelo, Vaan and Basch behind to follow if they willed it.

"Right!" Vaan exclaimed, trailing after them. Basch stood for a moment and stared at me.

"Are you coming as well, Sephora?" he asked. I avoided his eyes by looking at the floor. I heard the soft thumps of Basch's sandals as he left the bar, I heard Migelo sigh and leave as well. What now? What now, what now, what now? I lifted my gaze from the ground.

"_Go, you have found your goal now."_

Her words rang clearly.

I knew that if I stayed here in Rabanastre alone, I would never find my home. With them, I might have a chance to go back home. Now or never… I braced myself. The words leapt from my throat.

"Wait for me!"

---

I finally finished this chapter! :D This was by far the hardest chapter I have ever written. I even had to re-write by how horrible the first draft was. This was more like a boring transition chapter and I apologize if I used the game's dialogue like a crutch sometimes here -.-'. Thanks to my beta, Lady PenThier for looking over this chapter!


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